


Call Out My Name

by lafemmestars



Category: Heaven Will Be Mine (Visual Novel), We Know the Devil (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon Trans Characters, Homophobia, Other, Sibling AU, TW: Self Harm, Transphobia, Tw: Childhood Sexual Abuse, its a lot of fluff mixed with angst, other characters like Europa Iapetus and Dr. Nix are more minor but here, tw: Mentions of Suicide, tw: abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-06-23 17:44:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15611598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lafemmestars/pseuds/lafemmestars
Summary: {Read with caution! Has some heavy themes, warnings are in the tags}It's rough trying to keep up with siblings, but mostly they'll always have your back and will help you through life.





	1. Chapter 1

The loud blaring of familiar music brought her close to tears. Her bags seemed to fall from her hands - out of shock? No, excitement! Once the grey car stopped in a parking spot, Venus ran over, flinging open the door. She jumped right in, throwing her arms around a blond who looked akin to herself. The one who resided in the car barely smiled, tiredly, embracing her tightly. Sharp scents of incense, pine, and burning wood impacted her nose, giving her the feeling of slightly sick nostalgia. 

~~God, did it piss her off...~~

Unknowingly, she clutched Venus tighter. Her fingers were curled around the scratchy cotton fabric of her shirt, seeming to not have letting go in her immediate thoughts. Finally, Venus managed to wiggle away, then sat in the passenger seat for a moment. "I... I missed you... And uh.... I have something to tell you? S-sorry maybe this isn't the best time actually..."

"Is it what I think it is?" Luna-Terra murmured, turning to her younger sibling. She got a look in return that answered her question. Simply nodding, she opened the car door, firmly grabbing Venus's shoulder affectionately. "You already know how I feel about it. And that I called it."

There was a shaky, relieved sigh. She nodded and smiled easily, putting her hand over hers. 

"I knew from the start mom and dad were completely fucked up over it. They'll get over it." The incense had filled the air, each time she opened her mouth she could practically taste the thick fragrance. "Thanks Luna." Venus said, walking away to go help her gather her own bags. Luna-Terra hummed softly, grabbing the bags and throwing them in the backseat with ease. Just as she was about to get back in the front seat, she felt a gentle tug on her arm. She turned to face Venus and crossed her arms. "What's wrong Vee?" 

Venus motioned to a cabin that had its door opened and pushed the car door closed. "I can't leave unless you sign me out. You have your I.D. right?"

Luna-Terra nodded and ruffled Venus's hair, she felt something rough brush against her fingers. She made a face and looked at her light blond hair, pulling at what felt like a stem. After fishing it out of her hair, she examined it, realizing it was a small cluster of feathers. They were pearly in color and very soft, if not for the stems she probably wouldn't realize them. Venus's eyes widened when Luna-Terra showed her her findings, then gave a small, nervous laugh. She brushed them off her hand, letting them fall to the dirt. 

"Hahaa... um... There was a little bird on our cabin roof..." Venus paused, looking back to see if Jupiter or Neptune were free to talk-- they weren't. She could sense her sister's upcoming questions.

\--------------------

"Ugh, did you have to bring them?" Neptune groaned caustically while she leaned through the front window to speak to her mother. When her mother nodded, Mercury let out a scream and grabbed a newspaper, swatting the dashboard violently while screaming, "Bee! Oh god!"

A smirk formed on Neptune's lips as she leaned back, grabbing her bags and taking them to the trunk. She waited for her mom to pop it open, and instead was greeted by the car door opening and her sister popping out from the backseat. Saturn took the half-eaten lollipop out of her mouth and sauntered over, similar to how a lazy cat would walk, and leaned on the back of the car. A curious look crossed her sister's face, immediately alerting Neptune of the flood of questions she had.

"So, did you enjoy it? Because when I did this it fuckin sucked." Saturn declared as the trunk popped open. Neptune rolled her eyes and shoved her bags in, then closed the trunk with a loud 'thump'. "Well no shit Sherlock. I was well prepared to run the fuck away from here. I'm even contemplating it right now, just for mom since she decided to send me here!" The last part was almost a yell, purposefully of course. Still, she knew over the sound of the car radio she most likely wasn't heard.

"May I ask why you look like someone poured ink all over your shirt? It's really slobby."

"I don't care, I just can't wait to be at home, enclosed in my room away from everyone."

Saturn gave a small snicker, shaking her head as she rolled the sleeves up on her sweater. Neptune's eyes flicked down as she put one hand on her hip, using the other to point at her sister. 

"Is that my sweater?" She mumbled lowly, trying to calm her anger. "You took my sweater!"

Her sister winked, flipping her bangs before turning to go back to the car. "Looks better on me than you!" 

"Brat!" Neptune yelled, pushing her before she could reach the door handle. Saturn quickly whipped around and pushed her back, yelling "Back off bitch!" 

Mercury was staring at the side view window, looking at the trees in the reflection until his sisters had begun getting physical. Basically, he knew this was his cue to intervene, but he hesitated as he pulled the door open. He overcome the fear of getting involved and opened it fully, starting to step out. Suddenly he was pushed to the dirt, Saturn's back against him as Neptune tried to keep her down.

"HEY! STOP IT!" He yelled, making them both pause for a short moment. Neptune huffed and stood, fists still clenched, while Saturn stuck her tongue out at her. Mercury then shoved her off, interrupting her victory taunting. 

"If Mercury didn't say shit you'd have a black eye." Neptune mumbled as she helped her brother up. Mercury rolled his eyes and flicked her nose after she was so kind to pull him off the ground, then spoke in a calmer tone. "Mmhm. Keep talking and see what happens." 

"I'd love to hear what you could do, I'm sure I can handle it!" Saturn mocked Neptune, with some nervousness in her posture and mannerisms. 

"All bark, no bite!" Neptune shot back to Saturn.

Mercury sighed out of frustration after dealing with his two siblings, already tired of them both once again. He pushed the car door closed and started to walk towards the clearing of the camp. "Where can I sign you out?"

"Cabin." She walked by him, looking down at her phone as Saturn walked behind her cautiously. The three awkwardly made their way to the cabin, letting silence hang around them. Mercury glanced over at his youngest sister, noticing how much she looked like their mother now... And how she was wearing a camp-assigned shirt that was soaked in some black substance. He raised an eyebrow at it but refrained from asking her questions.

\--------------------

Today was the day she dreaded, it was the reason she had stopped counting the days to keep her anxiety from sparking up. It mimicked an electrical surge, which she managed to tame with no care for it. Even if she might've not had a liking for the camp, she preferred it to going home.

She reached for her hair tie, readying herself for a relaxing snap, until she realized her hair tie had snapped. Jupiter let out a shaky sigh as she dropped her hand into her lap, sitting down on the dying grass. She stared off for a moment, watching Venus jump into the car happily and Neptune saying something to a girl she presumed was her sister. 

Somewhat, it made her melancholic. Maybe it was envy speaking in her mind, seeing the two seem neutral in a way with the people who had came to pick them up. Up until the point she noticed Neptune bickering with her siblings, then she felt more envious of Venus. 

She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked at her bag, staring at the intricate patterns it was sewn into. Beginning to count threads, she listened to the ongoing cries of joy and cars starting and driving off. Relief washed over her each time a car left, knowing it wasn't hers. 

Even if the camp absolutely sucked, it was better for herself to be stuck sitting there than at home. Once she started to count the threads on the handle of the bag, she heard familiar voices nearby. She looked up and felt her eyes widen. She could see her parents walking towards her, with her sister striding proudly. The only person she cared to see was her father, who she didn't think would tag along. She stood up and dusted her jeans, walking to her father and throwing her arms around him, smiling slightly when he returned the hug. It felt warm, comforting, and nice to just relax into. "Hey dad!" Her voice was slightly cheerful as she reluctantly pulled away from him. He gave her a sweet grin, patting her head as he replied. "Hey kiddo, aw you've grown so much, have you gotten taller?" This was the one thing her father could make her disappointed. 

"You know the answer." She sighed, crossing her arms and forcing out a obligatory smile. He laughed and shook his head. "It was a joke dear." Her mother didn't say anything, but her sister gave a little wave, a trusting look on her face. 

Jupiter forced a smile and waved back slightly. She turned back to her father and took his hand, a surprise to himself. "How about I show you around before we leave?" She suggested, ignoring everyone else and trying to postpone the inevitable 'it's time to go home'.

"Wasn't this a fun experience? I remember doing this when I was younger." Pluto said to her sister, trying to be sweet. She had a perfect smile, trying to be the sweetest she could to her sister who constantly shut her out. 

She saw Jupiter shrug, no reply afterwards. 

\--------------------

"Wait so do I really have to sign you out?"

"... Yes?" 

Luna-Terra gave a look around the cabin, catching the eyes of two girls she knew. She felt her cheeks heat up, light brown eyes wide with shock. One of the two flicked her dark blue bangs over, looking to Luna-Terra with her tongue sticking out mockingly. She stood by a guy with black hair and a girl with brown-ombré hair. 

Saturn narrowed her eyes while she stuck her tongue out, then turned around to pretend she was listening to the counselor. It felt better to be focused on something else, even if it was boring.

The other girl she could feel her staring at herself. She looked to the other, who had pursed her red-painted lips. Something about her always made her feel the slightest intimidated. She stood with a girl who looked sunburnt in some places and light brown hair, a woman who had flaxen blond hair, and a man who had dark brown hair and a kind smile. 

Pluto simply nodded to Luna-Terra, acknowledging her existence at the most before looking off in the distance to keep from being reminded of their times together. 

"Are you sure?" Luna-Terra turned to Venus, her arms crossed with a hopeful look. Venus nodded and gave a sly wave to Neptune, who was trying to get her attention by waving excitedly. It was obvious she took that as an invitation. The tall girl had slid away from the two who stood by her and sprinted over, grabbing Venus's arm and groaning. "I fought with my sister and brother twice already! This sucks." She hissed softly in her ear, glaring back at her two oblivious siblings. The blonde softly laughed, then put her other hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her with a gentle pat. 

"I'm sorry Nep. Do you want to hang out with my sister and me for the time being?"

"Please! I'd rather that than be stuck with them!" She gratefully hugged Venus and gave her a quick peck on her cheek. If her sister saw, she didn't ask. 

Neptune looked at Luna-Terra, giving her a quick look up and down, then faced Venus again. "That's your big sister?" Venus nodded. There was a brief moment of silence before she said, "She looks so... uh... how do I say this..."

After eavesdropping in, Luna-Terra gave a half-hearted smirk and turned to speak with them. "Not like her? I know. We get that a lot. She's not outward too much." Neptune nodded and grinned, leaning on Venus. "You could say that again."

Luna-Terra cracked a smile, then pat Venus's head. She pointed out Saturn to Neptune and continued, "Are you related to her?" 

"She's a pain in the ass, but yes. Sadly." The younger girl replied, glancing back to her siblings. She scoffed and waved to Jupiter, who was looking over at them for a good time. Jupiter looked relieved, quickly walking over and throwing her arms around both Neptune and Venus. They both embraced her tightly, which she happily excepted. 

"... I don't know if I want to leave." Jupiter gently whispered into their ears, hugging them closely. Luna-Terra watched them with a sad glint in her eye, then put her hand on Venus's shoulder. "Need a moment sis?"

She nodded and smiled shyly. "Oh... If you wouldn't mind I'd like one please..." 

"I'll just go sign you out, then we can go." Something in her voice seemed broken with melancholy. That forced worry into Venus's mind, showing on her face when she bit down on her lip. Neptune pat her cheek to get her attention and narrowed her eyes. Venus blinked and shook her head, smiling to her innocently. "What's wrong?"

"You look fretful. It's weird." 

The blond shook her head once more before sitting on the nicely swept floor. Jupiter sank down by her and rested her head on her shoulder tiredly, while Neptune was quick to sit by her. "I just worry about my sister."

She was met by a choked back laugh from Neptune. She snorted and leaned against the wall, glancing over to her own siblings. "I don't get why you would. I let my siblings do their own shit, or I just blackmail them." She grumbled as she examined her ink-stained nails. The color slowly had faded to a cloudy color, a calm after the storm instead of before. Jupiter slowly put her hand over her's, running her fingers over her darkened nails. "Yeah Venus, I'm sorry but I agree." Jupiter admitted softly, pulling away when she felt someone staring at herself. 

"I don't mind, I'm just kind of curious now-" A loud yelp made the three turn almost all together. Neptune's face contorted into a horrified look when she saw Saturn, pinning Mercury down as she 'chit-chatted' with Luna-Terra. Jupiter covered her mouth with her hand, terribly holding back quiet giggles as Neptune stood, making her way over and pulling her sister off of her brother in a close to violent manner. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me in front of them!"

"Sucks bitch!" Saturn yelled back as she was drug against the wood floor. She flailed her arms as Mercury stood, taking gasping breaths as Luna-Terra held her hand out to him. He took her hand, lifting himself up with her help. 

Jupiter watched as Neptune proceeded to drag her sister outside, then started to speak. "Er... Where do you think she's taking her?" All she got in response was a confused look from Venus. "I don't know, but I'm betting it won't be pretty. Neppy didn't get any sleep last night, so I guess maybe we should stay out of it..."

Jupiter put her arm around Venus and nodded, sighing loudly. Venus snuggled up to her and watched as Neptune walked in, who rolled her sleeves back up and tread over to them. She flopped onto their laps and yawned. "Now I'm going to sleep. If Saturn comes over tell her fuck off, if Mercury comes just tell him to carry me or something." She mumbled tiredly while burying her face into Jupiter's coat.


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived home, Jupiter went straight to her room without another word to her family. She pressed herself against the door to close it, then slid down against it, sinking to the floor like she did earlier. This time alone. The clock read midnight, and her phone was just out of juice. She hugged her bag tightly, letting a shaky sigh while listening to the clicking of expensive heels -- well, her mother's heels exactly. The noise fanned the fires of her anxiety.

There was a soft knocking on her door, gentle whispers she could only slightly hear through the door. "Jupes? Can we talk please?" The nickname was something she wasn't familiar with hearing, nor was her sister's voice. Or just her talking to her in general. She slowly scooted forward, quietly whispering a soft, "Er... Come in?" Jupiter pushed her bag away and moved further forward, letting Pluto open the door. She inched inside, closing the door behind her. Pluto knelt down and sat nearby her, resting her hands folded on her lap. 

Everything about her was so prim and refined. Anything she'd say just made her feel like she had to pour out her problems to her, but every summer she continuously held back. Every summer, besides this one, she felt pressured to somehow socialize with her. Increasingly it became harder and harder on herself to the point she felt intimated just by even catching a glimpse of Pluto.

And here they were, Jupiter felt a lump in her throat just by having her sister by her side.

"Listen... Is everything... okay? You just seem so weirdly distant lately and I figured it'd be nice to just talk to you, offer any sisterly advice you'd like?" Pluto gave a kind smile, dark eyes seeming to shimmer with 'never-ending happiness'. Jupiter briskly shook her head in response and kept her eyes down, not wanting to look at her any longer. 

Pluto frowned, noting how her younger sister seemed uncomfortable. She had pulled her bag back over and hugged it close to herself while keeping her eyes to the floor. She sighed and turned to her, pushing her black bangs out of her eyes. Something caught her eyes while she had looked her over. She focused on her arm, counting thin lines that were deeply engraved in her arms. Their parents had never mentioned anything similar to it, so it sparked her interests. Furthermore, it sparked her worry. Cautiously, she scooted closer and rested her hand carefully on her shoulder, giving her a fully worried look as she spoke again. "I'm being very serious. If there's anything I can do to help you I will gladly do it. I'm your big sister after all." She offered carefully. Jupiter hesitated for a moment, slowly pulled her sleeves down and shook her head in response. 

"There's really nothing you can do..." She murmured as she stood, breaking away from the contact. She walked to the dresser and opened it, pretending to look for some pajamas. Pluto sighed and pushed herself up, standing to leave. Giving a glance back to Jupiter she wondered just what she was thinking of. She left and gently pulled the door closed with a click, then she made her way to her own room. 

Jupiter sighed out of relief, then unbuttoned her shirt to change into her pajamas, then sat down on her bed. Her body ached slightly as she relaxed back into her pillows and kicked her shoes off. The blankets were plush and offered minor comfort, but still gave her a sense of security. For a long time she just laid there, staring at the fan on her ceiling in the midst of silence. 

Finally, she pulled herself together and sat up, pulling her bag off of the ground. She rummaged through it, then grabbed her charger and plugged it in. She put her phone on the charger and placed it on her nightstand. Jupiter then got up and walked out of her room to see what was in the fridge and if she could eat it.

Once she had quietly walked into the kitchen, she noticed her parents in the living room. They seemed to be talking, she could hear the lingering whispers from them. Keeping silent she continued to grab an apple from the counter, then pressed herself against the wall to stay hidden while she attempted to listen in. 

It was easy to hear what they were saying, but she wasn't sure how much she wanted to hear them. Her mother had an overly honeyed tone, venom dripping from her words. It also wasn't hard to imagine her father's tired face matched with his stressed voice. Her mother sent chills down her spine upon saying, "I'm very disappointed in her. She has so much potential..."

Then there was the gentleness that countered what she said, "But I don't think that she would do something like that. We didn't raise Pluto like that." There was a moment of silence, she could hear her own shaky breaths that seemed too loud. She stood, walking close to the walls to keep from blowing her cover with a creaky board. Inelegantly she made it to her door and opened it sluggishly, trying to keep from any noise forming in its hinges.

Something definitely happened with Pluto, but what could her quintessential sister fuck up so badly it deemed their own mother to gripe on about it? 

The thought of what she might've done kept Jupiter trying to guess when she was trying to fall asleep. A few ideas ran through her mind, maybe Pluto committed a crime? Maybe she got caught drinking? 

Even with how much it bothered her, she ended up falling victim to sleep soon after she thought of a few more ideas. 

In her own room, Pluto had her phone up to her ear and was pacing quietly. Her eyes nervously darted over her posters while she waited. She wanted to tear them off out of impulse, let the scraps of paper that was left from her poster barely hang on by flimsy tape. She shuddered and backed herself up to sit on her bed. Pointless ringing filled her ears until there was a high-pitched ring. 

_"Hi, you've reached Luna-Terra-"_

_"And Venus!"_ She sadly smiled upon hearing the two giggle, something so rare to hear from one of the two. They both cleared their throats, Luna-Terra started to speak again with a more warm tone. _"Just take a moment to leave me a message if it's super important. When I have time I'll listen."_ Hearing the phone go to voicemail made her feel weak. Pluto hung up before the tone, shoving her phone down into her perfectly made comforter. Everything seemed to be coming undone at the seams, it wasn't even her doing. 

Pluto sniffled quietly, wiping mascara mixed tears that left grey streaks down her cheeks. She fell back, grabbing her fresh white pillow and pressing it into her face. She breathed in slowly, the stuffy pillow slightly uncomfortable but still it kept her from sobbing out loud. She pulled the stained pillow away, breathed in deeply. The sharp scent of incense blinded her nose. It was clear her mother was probably praying with her candles lit up. 


	3. Chapter 3

The night was exceedingly quiet between the three siblings. The only noise came from quieted crickets that were hidden away in tall blades of grass. The three sat in the backyard surrounded by fresh summer air, with Saturn and Neptune huddled on either side of Mercury. Neptune had pulled her legs together at her knees, trying to keep her legs warm from the nipping cold, and she had changed into a clean blue t-shirt -- one she hoped she wouldn't taint by accident. Saturn had spread her legs out on Mercury's lap carelessly, tilting her head to catch a glimpse of Mercury's phone screen. He frowned and held the phone close to his chest. 

Saturn smirked and looked at her younger sister, who seemed to be having the same idea she had.

Neptune became engrossed when she noticed him being protective of his phone, starting to smirk. He squeezed the phone and backed away from his sister suspiciously. The two smirked, Neptune reached for his phone while Saturn wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down. He started to try kicking her, proving unsuccessful when Neptune forcefully ripped it away from him. She got up to her feet quickly, made a dash for it, running for the fence. The wind whipped her face while she sprinted, until the collar of her shirt was pulled back.

She squealed and turned around, coming face to face with her brother. Quickly she decided it was a good idea to chuck to over him, in hopes Saturn would reach it in time. By the time it fell against the grass Saturn was making a run for it before Mercury could turn around. Once he saw, she grabbed it and unlocked it, seeming to scroll through it. Her sneaky grin became an excited smirk as the screen illuminated her face with a soft white glow. 

"You want Ganymede to sneak in the house? That's golden! I love it!" She burst out into laughter loudly, making Mercury's face light up like a Christmas Tree. "Don't read my texts! Those are private!" He shot back, running over to grab his phone. Saturn held it away from him and continued to look through them. 

"Ooo spicy!"

Neptune began to hysterically laugh, snorting loudly before running over to help keep their brother back. She grabbed onto his arm and with all her might tried to hold him back. He groaned and managed to yank himself away. Finally, he grabbed his phone and shoved it in his pocket, face brightly flushed. "What did I just say?" He groaned as their laughter settled. 

Neptune wiped small tears from her eyes and shook her head. "Not sorry bro! I can use this against you, so thank you!" She taunted eagerly, then let out a sudden, violent cough. Saturn's laughter died down quick when she heard the choking cough while Mercury seemed frightened by it. Her stomach lurched painfully as she tasted something salty, coughing up spots of black bile on the verdant grass. Saturn put her hand on her shoulder and looked at her with eyes that were wide with shock. 

"What fresh hell..." 

Neptune jerked away, covering her mouth with her hands. "I'm fucking fine, don't touch me!" It sounded harsher than intended. Upon noticing their startled petrified looks she took a few steps back. They watched as she ran into the house, making slightly pained noises as the screen door loudly slammed behind her. 

Left alone in their backyard, the two siblings turned to each other. Saturn's expression contorted into one that was bewildered, in contrast to Mercury's alarmed one. He stared down at the inky substance that seeped into the grass. He knelt down and examined it, looking slightly disgusted. There strangely wasn't a smell to it, but it was relieving to Mercury since he didn't want to be the next to puke...

It was all too familiar to Saturn. A heinous reminder to herself coughing up pink blood. She could just remember the feeling of wiping the sticky liquid off, trying to make herself look less fucked up than she was. It was like she had just chugged down two bottles of wine at some party and had to race to the bathroom to hurl up all her guts into the toilet. It was like all the psychedelic music filled her ears and made her dizzy to no end. Nauseous more or less -- that was how she remembered it.

_Did what happened to her at camp happen to her too?_

Saturn didn't even realize pink blood had dripped out of her nose until Mercury pointed at her. He stood up and made her tilt her head forward, then said "Great, we also needed a nosebleed right now too. Well, let's get you inside so we can stop the bleeding." She rolled her eyes and pushed him away softly, starting to walk inside. He followed quietly and left her to figure out the blood for herself. 

Saturn smudged the blood into her sweater sleeve, which made a fizzling noise upon contact. She watched as some of the threads dissolved and sighed, pressing her thumb into the newly made hole. She pulled it off and threw it over her arm. Deciding quickly, she ran back down to the laundry room, searching for a needle and a thread. She shuffled around in a box on top of the washing machine, then grabbed a tiny kit. Taking the kit, she ran upstairs and knocked on Neptune's door eagerly. There was a loud sigh from behind the door, then it was swung open. Neptune had her dark hair pulled into a ponytail, a few stands of hair hung out of it and her bangs weren't clipped back. The inner part of her lips seemed to be stained pitch, this starter to help her piece some things together.

Neptune rolled her eyes, holding onto the door tightly, ready to shut the door in her face. "What?" She mumbled tiredly, looking to her hands to see her sweater and a sewing kit. Saturn shrugged and walked in without invite, then sat down on her bed. "I felt bad about the sweater, and a found a hole in it," She held up the sleeve carelessly and let it drop back down to her lap. "So, I decided it'd be nice to maybe bond over this somehow?" 

Her younger sister nodded and shut the door, walking over to observe her start to thread a needle. Neptune watched her in silence, then put her hand on her shoulder, giving her a weak grin. "This is so weird of you to do." Saturn nodded and started to mend the hole. 

"Well duh. I don't care really, I just don't want you fucking me over alright? That's why I'm doing this."

Neptune gave a small genuine smile, then hid it behind a grimace. "Fine." She felt slightly touched her sister was doing this, especially with all that happened to her. Her stomach had settled with the taste of seawater stuck in her mouth. Within an awkward tension Saturn would say a few things, then would quiet down quickly when she got no reply from her younger sister. Still, it felt good to at least be somewhat on a good page with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added two new tags for warning last night! I just realized that's I forgot the two and it would probably be best to put it there. Anyways, enjoy!

The outlines of the trees were barely legible from the glow that emitted from the moon. There were the same trees after those, and those trees, and those....

Venus was entranced by the slick glimmering that highlighted the trees they passed. It was almost like she was glued to the window, counting each as the passed by. Luna-Terra couldn't help but chuckle softly when she noticed before focusing back in on the road. "You're like a moth to a flame Vee." Was what Venus heard her sister mumble. Blinking slowly, she looked over to her and pulled her legs up onto the seat. "I think it looks really pretty. It makes it kind of look like the trees are luminescent." Luna-Terra was too busy to indulge in what her sister was trying to get her to understand, so she nodded simply. They stayed quiet, listening to what sounded like some popular Soft Cell song on the radio, all while trying to think of what to talk about. 

Venus snapped her fingers and pointed at the road with an inquisitive look in her eyes. Once she had half of her sister's attention she cleared her throat. "This isn't the way home?" She nodded to her, blatantly trying to keep quiet about the subject. Venus narrowed her eyes and gently jabbed her finger into her arm. "Where are we going?" This received a sigh and a tired, "You'll see."

This was an easy game to play, one Venus quickly mastered. At first she pretended to be serene as she pressed herself back into the passenger seat. She let the song on the radio play for a minute, giving Luna-Terra the false sense of hope she wasn't going to continue on with her interrogations. 

Suddenly out of the blue, Venus asked "Are we there yet?" Luna-Terra groaned and frowned, then she shook her head silently.

"Venus, I will not tell you where we're going. Not working this time." She replied calmly, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Sorry." The younger sister quieted down, seeming to become interested in trying to find another station. 3 clicks in she said it again, "Are we there yet?" Another groan from her sister, which she laughed at. She continued to ask until finally she cracked and rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, fine. I wanted to keep it a surprise, but I'm taking you to the lake. Hali is meeting us there." Venus's face lit up with excitement at the thought of going to the lake this late, then was quickly replaced with a confused look. "Halimede? Why is she meeting up with us?"

Luna-Terra stayed quiet, gaining her sister's suspicion with the increasing seconds. Venus leaned over with her blue eyes narrowed and her nails tapping against the dashboard. "Luna?" She continued softly.

"Oh, we're here. Come on, I want to go get on the boat soon." The older of the two sisters parked and opened her door. The youngest followed quickly, shivering when the cold air hit her face. Luna-Terra laughed and took off her hoodie, threw it to her, then pulled out a black jacket from the back seat. Venus put the hoodie on and pulled the hood over her head. She pushed the door closed, then followed her closely, walking to the docks alongside her. They walked on the creaky wood, two people at the end by the small boat that bobbed in the water. 

One of the two had turned towards them, barely recognizable in the night. She walked towards them elegantly, meeting halfway before waving to them both awkwardly. "You guys got here so late. I was starting to think you bailed on me." Luna-Terra gave a dry chuckle and pulled her into a tense hug. Venus watched their body language, trying to figure out what was going on. They both seemed to be hiding something, probably of high importance. When they let go, Halimede cleared her throat and pat Venus's shoulder. "Was camp fun? I remember it being sorta cool I guess."

She shook her head and crossed her arms while she spoke. "It's not my cup of tea. I didn't like it." She mumbled softly as she moved closer to Luna-Terra to keep her distance. Halimede frowned and stepped back, then faced Luna-Terra with a million questions in her eyes. "It's not for everyone of course." Venus quietly looked to her sister, who nodded in agreement and pat her back. Halimede turned to the other person and spoke a few things to him before he walked onto the platform of the small boat. Halimede motioned for them both to follow, which Venus did reluctantly. After Luna-Terra stepped on, she cautiously followed, grabbing onto her hand with a tight grip when her balance swerved. Once Venus managed to walk in and sit down on the bench that was connected to the boat, Luna-Terra pulled away from her and went to the wheel, listening to a lecture from the person who probably owned the boat. Halimede awkwardly settled in next to Venus with her arms crossed. Venus leaned on the side, listening the motor of the patio boat roar to life. She straightened up and stared at the dark water, marveling at the shiny reflection it had. For a solid 30 minutes there was no other noise than the motor, until it slowed in the middle of the lake. Luna-Terra put it in park, then scooted over to sit comfortably by Venus. 

"Okay, I want to talk to you about something before you hear about it in the newspaper or something." Luna-Terra put her hand on her shoulder and gave her a tired smile. Venus nodded quietly and gave her her full attention. The eldest sighed and took her hand with a quick glance to Halimede.

"I'm engaged to Hali." She said without any sugar coating, only full honesty. Venus's eyes widened, looking for proof, and sure enough there it was, wrapped around her sister's left ring finger. This was something she certainly didn't think she'd come home to, and at this point she felt hazy. "But... why?"

Halimede groaned and crossed her arms with her eyes set on the calm lake. She seemed disheartened as she spoke. "It's just an arrangement my aunt thought of and declared to your parents. Since it benefits them too, they decided to put their differences on hold..." 

"Then don't go through with it?" Venus quickly suggested, looking to her sister sadly. Luna-Terra shook her head, earning a melancholic sigh from Halimede. "We would've if we could Venus." 

Venus quietly nodded, still unsure of all she had learned. It felt unbearably awkward sitting in that boat with them, even her sister seemed hesitant to say anything else.

\--------------------

"It's just weird. I don't mind it, I just feel like... uh... no, never mind...." Luna-Terra raised an eyebrow at what she said. "No, go on. I want to know what's up." 

Her younger sister sighed as they pulled into the driveway, leaving the car in park. Venus crossed her arms and pursed her lips before looking out the window. It was her way of steering away from eye contact. "It's nothin-" She let out a shaky cough and covered her mouth quickly with her hand. She could feel the feathers tickle the back of her throat. It was like they stuck in her lungs. "Your opinion matters to me." 

Venus looked over with a small smile, one she easily forced. It's not that she didn't appreciate what she said, she was still just questioning her sister's choices. "If you're happy, then I'm happy." They got out without another word, Venus getting her bags from the back of the car while Luna-Terra checked her phone. She noticed a call from Pluto, which she promptly ignored. She slid the phone into her coat pocket and went to help her sister. 

What happened between them was something she didn't want to divulge in, nor did she want to end up crying this late when her sister just got home. 

Venus walked to the door, the dread of talking to their parents in her head. Luna-Terra followed her to the door, pulled her keys out, then unlocked the door. Venus pushed the door open reluctantly and stepped in, met with a surprising hug from her parents. She coldly stayed in place, not returning the constricting embrace. Her mother pulled away finally, fawning over her while ruffling her hair. Her father on the other hand gave her a firm handshake. "How's my baby boy doing?"

Venus winced at her words and pulled back, standing slightly behind Luna-Terra. She put her hand on her shoulder, gently bringing her closer. As soon as she did that, their mother realized the dilemma. She furrowed her brow and looked to Venus expectantly.

"As... As I said before, I'm your daughter... And I'd appreciate if you'd accept that, or don't... Just..." Everything felt weirdly restricting. She could run. She could leave. She couldn't run....

_Why would she be able to leave?_

Now she felt like she was about to double over again, it wasn't even necessary to give a look to her parents to tell how disappointed they felt. It practically radiated off of them, the disgust she knew they held against her. 

Luna-Terra cleared her throat, keeping an intimidating stare set on both of their parents. When they finally looked to her she said, "She just got home from camp, and she's pretty tired. I think it's best if you let her get some rest for once, and maybe respect what she wants?" This didn't change how they felt, but it was enough to bring them out of the dark. Venus clung to her sister, throwing a glance at their parents before walking with her to her room. 

Once they made it into Venus's room, Luna-Terra set the bags down while Venus looked at herself in the mirror. There was so much she hated about this body, so much that was better about her other body. Not too long after she thought this her sister walked over and ruffled her hair, managing her usual half-smile.

"Thank you, for what you said. I felt like they wanted to... to like kill me or something." Venus wrapped her arms around her and sniffled, tears pricking her eyes. She hated when she knew she couldn't do anything about it. Luna-Terra did the same, minus the crying, then held onto Venus's head, trying to make her feel calm. "Vee, listen to me. They'll have to go through me before that shit happens. We can work it out with them, and if not I'll try to stay with you as long as I can, just three more years until you can move out."

When she finally pulled back and wiped away her tears, she looked up to her sister with a smile. A sad one still, but it was a smile nevertheless. "Y-yeah."


	5. Chapter 5

"Who're you texting so much?" Neptune mumbled groggily to Mercury, leaning on his shoulder tiredly. He rolled his eyes and put his phone down, eyeing their mother, who was busy in the kitchen. "Ganymede."

"Gross, are you sexting him?"

"Neptune Flores!" Mercury grit out between his teeth angrily, putting his finger to his mouth to signal for her to hush. She laughed and kept her head on his shoulder. As much as she teased and teased him, she wasn't going to ever say a word to their mom -- he kept her past ex girlfriends a secret, she kept Ganymede a secret. All their mom knew was that Ganymede was just tutoring him. 

"I'm kidding! But seriously, did you sneak him in last night?" She inquired curiously, giving a look at her black nails. Her brother rolled his eyes and shoved papers into a bag. "No. But I wanted to."

"Spicy!" Saturn chimed in as she walked behind them. Neptune groaned and grabbed her arm when she walked by, pulling her down to speak on the same level as her. "Sweater please. I'm not asking again, next time I'll fight you for it." She received a mocking grumble along with her sweater, which she held onto with satisfaction.

"No Saturn, not spicy. Anyways, school is starting up soon-"

"So hell?"

Neptune shook her head and gave a bored yawn. She leaned forward on the table and rested her head on it. "Hell is way fucking better than school."

Mercury cleared his throat, getting their attention much to his surprise. He pulled his bag up and pulled out some papers, sliding them both a few. "You're not wrong. So I got your registration forms Nep, I figured maybe you and mom could do them soon. And Saturn, you need to figure out if you're staying home during college or on campus." Saturn groaned and scanned over the paper, then turned to her brother. "How about I just stay home so I can bug you?"

"Wonderful. That's exactly how you should spend college." She rolled her eyes at his response and continued to thumb through the pages. Neptune grabbed the student handbook and flipped through the pages, only pausing to read the table of contents. She turned to a specific page and looked to her brother with a frown. "I can't wear ripped jeans anymore! That's unfair!"

When their mother walked in, she kissed Neptune's forehead and ruffled Mercury's hair, then put the plates of food on the table. "Helping her figure out what half of her closet she can't wear?"

"That's basically all my clothes." 

Their mom chuckled softly and kissed Saturn's forehead, which made her groan and wipe the lipstick left on her forehead. Neptune watched as she smudged the glossy pink substance in an attempt to rub it off. "If I get a call about dress code I'm hanging up." 

"And if I get one I'm going to smack you upside the head." Mercury said, making Neptune snicker. "Go ahead and start, I'm gonna be out of dress code a lot." Neptune replied simply as she cut her pancakes. Mercury sighed and tapped his fingers against the table. Saturn smirked and walked over to him, poking his arm. "Hey can you drive me to the mall?"

"No."

"Mercury! Please!"

"You can drive the car on your own!" He defended quickly, narrowing his eyes. She pursed her lips and pouted, leaning on his shoulder to annoy him further. "Not if you have it, so therefore you have to drive me!" 

Saturn looked to Neptune for support, only to find her sister was engaged in something on her phone. 

"Hey Nep, what's with the face?" She asked when Neptune scrunched her face -- most likely in disgust.

"Oh bite me." Neptune grumbled as she looked at them from over the screen. 

\--------------------

In the morning, Jupiter slowly forced herself awake, blinked blankly, then pushed her blankets off herself. She sat up and stretched, listening to the quiet, annoying popping of her bones. Grabbing her phone, she unlocked it and looked at new messages she had from Venus and Neptune.

Vee<3: hi.  
Vee<3: parents suck. did not take the news well. being lectured rn.  
Neppy<3: ewwwwwww remind me to never meet your parents, ive just been trying to deal with my stupid siblings 

Jupiter smiled at their conversation in the group chat, then started to type a reply.

Jupiter: Ha. Are you texting us while they lecture you?  
Vee<3: luna is distracting them.   
Neppy<3: now that's a good sister  
Jupiter: Do you guys wanna hang out?? We can get lunch???

They both responded with a yes, which forced them to think of where to go. Once they decided on a cheap burger place, Jupiter put her phone down and enjoyed the silence and her air conditioned room. She untangled herself from blankets to gather some clean clothes to lay out before she jumped in the shower. While she picked out a pair of pants, she could hear a dull sound. It was close to a whimper mixed with sniffles. Weirdly enough, the room by her's was Pluto's room. 

She shouldn't ask, she really didn't want to, and certainly Pluto was fine, right?

Her empathy overcame her forced feelings of resentments. She made her way out of her room to Pluto's door and gently pushed the door open. 

The door creaking open was hidden by the sound of her hiccuping sobs. Pluto was under her blankets, sounding scarily out of breath between quiet cries. She was undisturbed by Jupiter's calculated footsteps against the floorboards. Upon getting close to her bed, she saw her sister had what she thought of as raccoon eyes, the remains of her eye makeup. Some of her tears that were fresh on her face had a somewhat charcoal tint. Jupiter gently tapped her arm, feeling strangely uneasy by how much Pluto seemed to be distraught over something. Her sister slowly turned to her, sobs quieting to sniffles. She turned away and pressed her palm against her eyelid, wiping at the leftover makeup. 

"Good morning..." She mumbled softly as Jupiter sat hesitantly by her on her bed. "Pluto, what's going on?"

She was quiet, unable to come up with a full reply. "I..." Pluto blinked back tears with glossy eyes and shook her head. "It's just some stupid drama..." She mumbled and got out pf bed. "I wouldn't want to bore you with the details, I... I need to go get ready for my appointment anyways." Jupiter nodded, still shocked of what happened. She wanted to help, but she felt insincere. She was only trying to communicate with her when she wasn't in her best state, and Jupiter never did that regularly. 

Jupiter cautiously walked back to her room. What had just happened clouded her mind.

\--------------------

There was the same argument she had with her parents, but this time she was sure to make her points. This argument was definitely different.

Venus felt relief when she was excused from the table. She slid off the chair and hurried off to her room, Luna-Terra following behind her. "I'm tired of their lectures and them thinking they can just... just change me?" She spoke with big hand motions, making it clear she was running off of her anxiety. "They're close-minded Vee. I'm sorry about all of this-"

"But we can change their mind? Can't we?"

Luna-Terra gave her a sad smile. "Are you thinking about how they're having me marry Hali for money?" Venus flopped on her bed and held onto the silence, then slowly said, "Just the marriage part."

Luna-Terra flopped onto the bed by her, laying on her side. She poked the tip of her nose teasingly, earning an annoyed look from Venus. "No. Yours is somehow justified and mine isn't." 

"Is that sarcasm I hear? Never thought I'd hear that from you."

"Can't you just adopt me?"

Luna-Terra sighed and stretched her arms, shaking her head. "Venus, I would if I could. I want to help, and I'm going to do that to make sure you'll be safe. It makes me so damn pissed hearing what they say." Anger was in her tone very subtly. Venus's nodded and sighed, closing her eyes tightly.

"Same here. I just want to like... cry and die."

"Please don't. Hey, how about I give you some of my old clothes? The ones mom and dad wanted me to wear but could never get me to wear them." The younger of the two beamed happily. 

"I think I'd like that a lot." She felt her sister ruffle her hair, this time she let her with no protest whatsoever, not even a single pout. Luna-Terra pulled her hand away and sighed as she watched her sister with caring eyes. 

Venus had short fluffy blonde hair, almost pale enough to look like it was glowing, which just added to her already angelic appearance. It was almost funnily ironic. She moved closer to Luna-Terra and closed her eyes, tears forming again. "Luna, I just... I want to be me. I know I've said it so many times but that's all..." Nothing could break her heart more than hearing that from her little sister. The tears in her doll-like blue eyes gathered again and just added more fractures to the broken pieces. "I know," She repeated it over and over again as she embraced her, trying to offer as much comfort that she'd accept. 

Venus pushed her face into her shoulder and let out whimpers and cries, ones she didn't even realize she was crying out. Everything felt odd and hazy. 

Luna-Terra stayed there, an expert in keeping her from completely breaking down into heavy tears.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advanced for the end of the chapter, it's a cliffhanger-

Somehow Pluto managed to make it look like she was never breaking down into tears. Her makeup was done perfectly and wasn't in runny spots on her cheeks. Her painted crimson lips were forced into a lying smile, with her eyes looking out the window to keep eye contact to a minimum. Jupiter wanted to know what was going on in her thoughts, maybe to also know why she was a sobbing mess just a few hours ago. It wasn't because she was curious, but mainly because she knew what it was like to be just like that.

Jupiter sat a good distance away from her in the car, with only the middle seat between them, holding their tension. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Pluto's fingers graze over her phone, pressing the home button to check her notifications. All that showed was a picture of a luscious landscape of bright purple lilacs. She quickly looked away and wrung her hands in the edge of her shirt, catching her older sister's attention. Pluto cleared her throat and turned to her, looking at the backs of their parents' heads. She bat her long lashes and kept her voice to a gentle whisper, "Please don't tell them what you saw." 

Jupiter nodded slowly and looked at her. A glittering gold pendant hung from her neck... had it always been there? Maybe she just never noticed the little golden heart necklace, but it annoyed her strangely. She looked away and picked at the lint on her shirt. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked over her texts, trying to think of a way to weasel away from her mom. It hit her quickly what she needed to do. 

"Hey dad, is it okay if I go hang out with my friends? Please? They're at the mall today?" She leaned forward on his seat as much as the seatbelt allowed and wrapped her arms around him. "Fine by me sweetie."

Her mother pursed her lips as if she was going to say something, but kept it to herself. 

Pluto checked her phone again, greeted with a message. Never in her life was she so relieved to see a text from Saturn. 

Saturn: r u done  
Saturn: by done I mean u done bein a bitch  
Pluto: I never said those things about you or Luna-T.  
Pluto: But just for your sake! Yes! I'm done.

A frustrated grumble escaped her lips, enough to make Jupiter casually glance at her. She pressed her lips together tightly, probably caking some of her lipstick into small clumps. 

Saturn: fair.  
Saturn: Seriously though. I don't want to speak to u or LT. u both suck. U suck a lot more. i don't make the rules srry.  
Pluto: Hmmmmmmm. How can you believe Halimede and not me?  
Saturn: How can I believe u? Only u knew about this shit!!  
Pluto: Fine, sure, hate me forever. See how it works for you.

Pluto shakily slipped her phone into her bag and bit her lip, sinking into a mixture of skin and pasty lipstick. Things just were all falling apart and she felt like a mess. Sure, the makeup hid her sleepless eyes, covered her bruised lip, and and hid her flushed cheeks, but it couldn't beat how horrid she felt. It didn't completely hide how jaded she was, but she'd just fix it as soon as she got home. 

Jupiter pulled her jacket sleeves over her arms and stared at the mall from a distance once they parked. She got out and thought about what she was wearing, which was her favorite jacket, some shorts, and a white shirt. It wasn't too ideal in the late summer heat, but she guessed it worked since it kept people from staring. Pluto stepped out and started to walk by her. She turned to her when she thought she felt a tap on her shoulder, then gave her a confused stare. 

"What's up?"

Jupiter blinked slowly and gave her an equally confused look. "Huh?"

"You just tapped my shoulder..."

"No?" 

She found it unnerving how Jupiter seemed puzzled by what she said. No one else was around them, their parents had just started to get out of the car, so who could have did it? Pluto let it go and shook her head, continuing to the entrance to find some clothes quickly and leave quicker. 

She hoped to god none of the people she knew from school were there. 

Jupiter on the other hand walked in and looked around the food court. It took a short amount of searching for her to finally find Venus and Neptune, who sat at a table, both tiredly leaning on each other for support. She mad her way to the table and took a chair, giving them both a quick kiss to greet them. Both of them scooted over for Jupiter, Neptune laid her head on the table and yawned loudly while Venus propped her elbow on the table and kept her head in her hand. "Did either of you sleep?"

"Fuck no. Too busy trying to keep myself from dying. And sewing. And wanting to choke my sister."

Both Venus and Jupiter said "ah" and looked away. Jupiter pat Neptune's back and kissed her forehead, trying to be as caring as possible. "Don't do that, that's illegal."

"You both can come and visit me in jail."

"Neptune, no." Venus groaned, hiding her eyes in her hands. Jupiter sighed and sat back in her chair, gingerly leaning on Venus. "And you?"

"For a whole hour at like midnight I had to sit in a boat in the middle of the lake with my sister, and Halimede. I.... I don't even want to talk about it." Venus seemed tense, giving a few glances around to check for someone. Jupiter slowly nodded and pushed some of Venus's hair out of her face. "When you're ready to talk about it we're here for you." She paused, then continued with her own troubles. "It's been awkward since I got home, I'm really not sure what to say or do."

"As expected." Neptune muttered sleepily. She sat up and stretched her arms, then leaned over onto Jupiter. "I'd like to just run away with you two. Forget this crappy town. Fuck it."

Venus immediately shook her head and pouted, which didn't exactly effect Neptune's stance. Jupiter softly giggled and sat up, giving Neptune a curious look. "Give me a good reason Vee." Neptune said as she leaned over the table to talk to her. "We have no where to go and no money."

"No where to go isn't a good point, money is." Jupiter added solemnly as she stood to go order some food. "Nep, there has gotta be something that'll keep you here that you're fine with."

"My brother. He's the only kinda cool person here."

"Hey!" Jupiter interrupted, pointing at herself. "I'm cool!"

"Only lame people say they're cool!" Jupiter frowned and flicked Neptune's forehead, then walked away to the burger stand. Neptune furrowed her brow and looked around. She noticed her brother, and he was speaking to some older man. Something about the way her brother looked distressed triggered worry in her mind. Quickly, she stood, kissing Venus and placing her bag by her hands. She sauntered towards her brother and the man, looping her arm around Mercury's. 

"Hey brother!" She said in the sweetest, honeyed tone she could manage. He was completely tense, but relaxed once he saw her. The man looked over Neptune dully, then forced a smile. 

"Hello there, I was your brother's teacher." 

She narrowed her eyes but kept her smile. "Mmm, nice to meet you. I just want to speak to my brother-"

"Uh, actually it can probably wait Nep, sorry." He shook her off his arm, then cleared his throat. "I'll come see you afterwords."

Neptune huffed as he got close to the man, noticing him trace his fingers over his shoulder lightly. She balled her fist, then without hesitation said, "What's your name? I didn't catch it." She grit out.

He turned back, giving her a smile, one she could tell his ill-intentions. "It's Iapetus dear."


	7. Chapter 7

Neptune didn't like how that guy, 'Iapetus' seemed. Everything about him straight up set off a red flag. She watched as they walked away from her, Iapetus put his hand on Mercury's shoulder and that was the last straw. There wasn't much a girl who followed a rules could do...

But she wasn't a girl who wouldn't fuck up the rules. 

Everything told her act quick, make a scene, get Mercury's attention, do something! 

Her attention turned to a bright yellow sign that was standing up in a puddle of water. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Perfect. She ran through it, letting herself yell suddenly when she slid through, falling down and turning everyone's attention on her as she laid in the wet puddle.

Luckily it wasn't all just for a bruised tailbone. Mercury had noticed and excused himself, running to his young sister's aid. Neptune dizzily sat up and pretended to be in worse pain than she was, forcing fake heavy tears out as Mercury pulled her up. She fell into his arms dramatically and let out little sobs, looking over his shoulder to glare at Iapetus. He narrowed his eyes and looked like he was going to say something. 

_Lay a hand on him fucker, see what happens._

She took Mercury's hand, leading him over to where her girlfriends were sitting. Jupiter was staring at them, while Venus was waving at them. Mercury gave a friendly wave and rubbed Neptune's shoulder. "I know why you did that."

"Bullshit."

"Thank you." He continued with a smile. She pleasantly grinned back and punched his shoulder playfully. Everything was good until she remembered how sore she felt. Her back practically screamed 'why did you betray me like this,' but she tried to ignore it by playing it off. "Yeah yeah, I get it, now you're forever in my debt."

"No seriously," He grabbed her by her shoulders gently, holding on with a relieved look. Something about it was so genuine. "Thank you." 

"Are.... Are you ok?" Jupiter asked gently, looking at Neptune with worry. Neptune nodded resiliently and turned to Mercury, who wrapped his arm around her with a smile. "I'm great, anyways this is my big brother. Mercury, this is Jupiter and that's Venus." Jupiter said a quiet 'hello' and Venus gave a friendly smile. Neptune sat across from them with Mercury and started to talk about her whole little scene that had happened. Mercury gave a few glances around to see if Iapetus was anywhere near, but he wasn't. His relief was evident, and he seemed at ease with them. "It's really nice to meet you both, I've been dying to know who Nep here keeps lamenting over and saying 'I wish I could see them!'"

She scrunched her nose and pinched Mercury's arm with annoyance forcing a pout on her lips. Mercury remained as composed as possible, winking to his sister before checking his phone. 

\--------------------

Delicately touching the pink lipstick on her lips, Venus looked at herself in the mirror. Some of it was smudged from the kisses she got from Neptune and Jupiter, and from the ones she gave back happily. She lowered her hand from her face, staring at her smooth skin. The shade of pink that remained on her lips reminded her of comfort, something nice to look at. It wasn't too harsh, but not too light. Sometimes she forgot how she got the lipstick, but she'd always recall the memory at a later time.

She remembered when she was younger, sitting with her sister and Halimede on the carpeted floor as Halimede worked her minimal 'expertise' on her face. She could still feel the feathery feel of the brush on her cheeks, the way the lipstick felt like wax being rubbed on her lips almost effortlessly, and the stress of having a mascara brush too close to her eyes. All this was done to her because Luna-Terra kept Halimede from working on herself, and suggested to practice on her. Venus was hesitant, but had taken a liking to watching her mother put lipstick on, or glance to Halimede as she fixed up her almost flawless makeup, so she agreed with enthusiasm.

Still, Venus remembered clearly enjoying every second of it even with her sister's light teasing about how she looked like a little clown. Halimede scolded her and pressed the lipstick she had used on Venus into her hand. She remembered getting wide-eyed, trying to give it back before her parents could catch her with it. Halimede insisted strongly, shaking her head and showing her how she looked.

She remembered what she had said, _'Vee, you'd make such a pretty girl.'_ This was before Venus even realized what she truly wanted, and now as she looked at her rosy lips it gave herself confidence for realizing who she truly was. 

As much as she'd decline it, she was close with Halimede too. Now it seemed like they never even knew each other. After everything she didn't even know if she could force herself to care about how she felt. Halimede brought that upon herself.

Venus yawned loudly and stared at the back of the driver's seat. Luna-Terra heard her and turned the radio down. "Sleepy?"

"Mmmhm." Venus hummed as she closed the compact and pushed it into her bag. It clattered emptily against her phone and a silver tube of lipstick. The noise drew Halimede's attention to her, she turned her head to look at her curiously. Venus gave her a shy, obligatory smile as if they'd just met minutes ago and stared down at her own bag. Halimede had pursed her lips, beginning to form something she wanted to say, but was interrupted by Luna clearing her throat. She pinched her reddened lips shut and listened to her. "Something wrong?"

"Mmm mm." The negativity in her tone was almost shocking, making even Luna-Terra turn to look at her. 

"Vee?"

"I'm fine. I'm just really tired lately." Venus quietly vocalized her lie, which tempted a quick response from Halimede. She could hear the small, nippy remark that made her stomach twist up into a tight knot. "Maybe it's best for you to actually sleep for once, no?" She narrowed her eyes and refrained from rude remarks that threatened to creep out of her tightly pressed lips.

".... Yeah sure." Luna-Terra shot Halimede a look that said everything and kept them from speaking another word of the conversation. Venus sighed softly and leaned back into the seat. She'd be lying if she had said she hadn't missed the comforting moments when things weren't tense. She aimlessly watched the passing streets and the people walking on the sidewalk, conjuring up random ideas of what their lives were like. Usually the car was never this quiet.

"Sis? Is Halimede coming home with us?" Even while looking at her sister, she could still feel the icy gaze of Halimede resting on herself. Ironically enough, she called Venus the 'Ice Queen' even with her always cold gaze. Luna-Terra nodded and looked at Venus using the mirror, a curious glint in her eyes. "Of course. Why wouldn't she?"

"Well why would she?"

She sighed and glanced back at her sister for a second, then back to the road. "Because you two seriously need to get over yourselves."

"Like you?" 

"Hali, you're really proving my point right now."

She scoffed and stared out the window, focused on something to keep from having awkward eye contact. "Sucks." Was all she said in response to Luna-Terra. Venus nodded and slouched back into the seat until they were parked in the garage. As Venus stepped out and made her way to the door, she heard her sister call her name. 

"Don't think you're not going to practice with me today." Venus turned and gave her a warm smile, then nodded. "I will, I will. Just... Uh.... We can do it maybe after Halimede goes home?"

Halimede perked up and shut the car door, looking to Venus with the same curious look Luna-Terra had earlier. "Oh? What're you two doing?" Luna-Terra shrugged and walked to the door, holding it open as she spoke. "I promised Vee when she got back we could try maybe doing a few gigs at that little coffee shop, she'd be singing and I'd be playing the guitar."

"So a band?"

"I don't think a band has just a singer and a guitarist." Venus said softly, not wanting to let Halimede hear her. She walked inside calmly and went straight to her room, trying to distance herself from the girl she had a mutual dislike for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay class what have we learned today? Iapetus sucks! Now remember that because that's on your exam.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I should sleep since I'm auditioning tomorrow  
> Also, me: let me just continue this whole ass chapter-
> 
> So, I've been gone and here's what I have! Hopefully I'll post more chapters soon, but for now this is it until the next update. :)

"You're singing the wrong note."

"Oh, am I? I guess that's why I keep clashing with the chords of the guitar..." Venus mumbled softly, holding a marker up to her mouth like a microphone, trying to practice holding it properly when the time came. Luna-Terra looked at the sheets of music she set on the small makeshift stand and nodded. "Just establish your key, you'll be fine after that." She smiled to her and nodded, starting to sing the scale quietly to herself while Luna-Terra decided on where they'd pick up at again. Venus cleared her throat and nodded to her, singing softly. She stopped strumming the guitar and looked at her sister, realizing maybe there was something more to why she want on pitch.

"Vee?"

"Mm?"

Luna-Terra put the guitar off to the side and stood, confronting her with surprising worry. "You've seemed really off lately, are you alright? You just seem kind of weird about everything and you can't keep a steady pitch." She didn't get an exact response, just a small shrug. Luna-Terra flicked her forehead gently and waited for her to continue, standing in front of her awkwardly. 

"Ok, fine... I just-"

"Venus! Luna-Terra!" Their father cut their conversation short. Venus glared towards the door and composed herself, walking out of the garage. "Let's go see what he wants." Luna-Terra sighed and cursed his horrible timing, following her up while she pushed her hair out of her face. 

There was always some hidden fear they both mutually held when encountering their parents, Venus would try to keep her eyes off them, while Luna-Terra forced eye contact. The eldest knew their faces too well, the youngest was glad she didn't. 

_"What's it like?"_

_"What's that?"_

_"I... I don't know. It's weird, weird to know you felt like this for a while... Is it better you told them?"_

_Luna-Terra remembered trying to form constellations from the poorly placed glow-in the dark stars. The fake stars offered no help, only a comforting dim glow. She took a deep breath, turning to her sibling and shook her head. "I feel better saying it out loud, and I don't recall ever wanting their opinion. It does feel strange to hear them cavil against the fact I'm not who they wanted me to be. I don't feel good when they call me son, it makes me feel..."_

_"... Distraught?" Luna-Terra slowly, quietly nodded. She squinted her eyes slightly and wondered how Venus knew exactly how it felt, then a thought struck her._

\--------------------

Laying in deafening silence made her feel slightly terrorized. Skin brushed against her arm, or what she believed to be the phantom feeling of it at least. It left a warm trace, one she swatted away with the back of her own hand. This still was taking some getting used to, and it wasn't like she had completely embraced it just yet. 

Mainly, she just disliked the fact the small apparitions appeared so randomly. The poking and prodding of them were somewhat nice, so she didn't think twice about complaining about that. 

She pushed herself off of the rickety floor of her old treehouse and peered out the little window, her eyes trailing off to the transparent red hands that felt so real. Some picked up things curiously, others pat her head or held onto her hand, acting so childishly innocent. They brought a small smile to her face because it was kind of amusing to watch them. 

The sky began to melt into hues of lavender and fiery orange, one of the best parts of the day in her own opinion. She begrudgingly stood and started to leave. One thing she didn't like was that she had to go back inside and have dinner with her family. She wished she could stay outside all day, to curl up on the creaky boards and ignore everyone, but she knew she'd get in an exaggerated amount of trouble by her mother. Jupiter believed that distance would them both some good, which wasn't what her mother wanted.

She began to climb down the ladder, gripping the sides tightly. Once she made it down she rolled her sleeves down over her scarred arm and walking quietly inside. She timidly glanced around, catching whiff of the enticing smell of dinner. She curiously and slowly peeked into the kitchen, surprised to see the familiar sight of her cousin. Her cousin turned her head, blonde bob swishing out of her face, and smiled brightly. "Hey Jupes." She said as she put a cover over the pot. Jupiter ran over and threw her arms around her, burying her face into her apple-scented sweater. She relaxed into the hug and embraced her back, then pulled away.

"It's been so long, I... I missed you." The younger of the two mumbled, her smile full of euphoria. Halimede grinned back, then turned to the boiling soup on the stove. 

"I'm sorry that I don't get to see you often. I got engaged, unexpectedly, and life has been pretty crazy." She explained as she rolled her sleeves up and leaned on the counter. Jupiter took a seat by the island and listened intently, curious to who she might be engaged to. Stress showed in Halimede's eyes as she mentioned it, but she tried to hide it with a nervous smile. 

"Who's the lucky one?"

She watched as Halimede pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly, as if she was contemplating whether or not to announce a name. If she didn't, Jupiter would be happy to still tease her about it. The eldest cousin took a deep breath and glanced back at the soup then to Jupiter. "I... I don't think she considers herself lucky... Besides, if I help her get legal custody of her sister, we decided to break off the engagement." Her voice was solemn as she spoke, focused on the gold band on her hand that beautifully sparkled as a sad reminder. 

"I'm... I don't know what to say," Jupiter bit her lip and cautiously stood. She hesitantly came close to her cousin and wrapped her arms around her again, resting her head on her back. "Hali, do you love her?"

Silence grew between them.

"Yes."

Jupiter's worried grimace turned up into a hopeful smile. "I want to help you, maybe we can show her that you love her a whole lot?" Silence formed again, broken when Jupiter heard a light sniffle. Halimede gently put her hand over her arm and squeezed softly, trying to signal she was fine. 

"I wish she knew..." She whispered sadly. Still, she was glad that her cousin was attempting to help the situation.


	9. Chapter 9

The snapping autumn air whispered while carrying crisp leaves. She listened closely to the tales it told, the distant voices it brought. She kept her eyes closed as leaves lightly fell onto her face. The wind carried the leaves off with the steadying of her breathing. Her eyes fluttered open and she was met with the darkly clouded blue sky. She breathed out a tired sigh and sat up to see tall trees with spidery branches outstretching and intertwining into each other.

Jupiter wearily stretched her legs and watched as her sister pulled a young giggling girl into her arms. She nonchalantly stood and put her hands on her hips, curiously walking towards them. Time slipped her mind, they got there earlier and Pluto had offered for her to tag along and interact with her kid, but she politely shook her head and took to laying on the grass while her sister did her job. 

The girl in her arms was full of hope. The way she swung her legs and smiled widely was full of childlike excitement, the happiness that practically radiated off of her attitude was pleasant too. Jupiter smiled to her, then nodded to Pluto, still dazed by her nap. "What time is it?" Her sister casually looked over with a glimmer in her eyes, one that she was familiar with. "About four. We'll be leaving soon." The young girl in her arms whined and held onto Pluto, which pressed a laugh from her. It was so sweet, so motherly it would lure you in and make you want to speak to her. There was no reason for Jupiter to want to make an effort to say much else to her, so she just quietly let the laugh pass her like a phantom. 

Life never really was fair, and she was completely used to it. She knew she could go a few more years with it, probably. "Ah. Just curious." Her sister acknowledged her with a quick nod, then carried the young girl to a group of kids, all saying goodbye to people about the same or younger than her. It was nice to see Pluto be a big sister to someone else who needed it, even if it wasn't herself. Once Pluto has walked back, Jupiter quietly forced a smile and started to walk in the direction of home. 

"Silena is so sweet Jupes, you know, you should give the program a try. You could help some of the kids with homework, dad told me-"

"I'd rather not. Kids make me nervous." The response was stiff and quick, which caused Pluto to frown. For a moment she didn't respond, but when the air became tense she added quickly, "Oh, alright. I think it's fun, this is my last time in the program sadly, but I was thinking of going into a job that involves helping kids and teens. It'll be kind of like the "Big Sister, Big Brother Program", so I think it'd be fun."

A sharp breeze hit them when she said that. Jupiter pulled her jacket closer to herself and kept her eyes forward. "The foster system is horrible," she glanced at her sister while she spoke, catching her disappointed frown. "Just letting you know."

"I could work in a group home, there are lots of kids going through hell Jupes."

This didn't invoke a response from her. They continued to walk in the light day traffic into the suburbs until they reached the house. Jupiter walked past her and climbed the steps, barely turning her head to answer. "Yeah. I mean, who doesn't know that?"

\--------------------

The rooms were never silent. A loud sitcom blared from someone's room, it seemed like one that she might've known before, but she didn't want to ask. The clinking of pans and sizzle of food mixed with the exhilarating sound music her mother always played while cooking, songs that she vaguely remembered dancing to even when she couldn't clearly understand what was being sung. Then, of course, was the fast-paced rap music Saturn blasted without any thought to what her family wanted. 

Each time, without fail, she succeeded in annoying Neptune. Sure, it was only music, but she didn't appreciate it when she wanted to rest. Her head hung off her bed while she stared at the door, glaring at it intensely. Lazily her eyes trailed up to the midnight walls in her room, scanning over the slightly colorful posters she pinned up.

The sound of sizzling food and a sitcom became more clear and less drowned out. It felt oddly calm and serene for once. She sat up suddenly, throwing her blankets off and walking to her door. The music had stopped. She opened the door and looked to Saturn's room, noticing her sister laying on the floor, doing nothing in particular. She shoved her phone into her pocket and kicked at the door, only slightly getting her attention. Saturn slowly turned herself over and looked up at her aloofly. Neptune quietly eyed the rest of her room, going over the mess of her floor and the unmade bed, then glanced back to Saturn.

"It's messy in here." 

"I know. I'm not a little perfectionist."

"I'm not either, but it doesn't kill me to clean." She sneered lowly, flipping her hair out of her face as she sat in a spot free from various objects and clothes strewn about. Saturn shifted over, kicking some stuff away to make some room for her. Suddenly Neptune felt like she was reeling as she stared at her. 

"Anyways, I wanted to ask you something. Two things actually. Do you know of a man... a man named Iapetus?" She immediately sprang up, staring at Neptune with a startled look. She scanned her carefully, quickly, for any sign of her sister trying to hide something, but she only remained relaxed and unfazed by the reaction.

The name made the hair on her arms stick up, a metallic taste rolled down her throat, brought up by coughing into her sleeve. She managed to bring herself up, curling her legs under her to be at her level. If she heard the name right was immediately her first thought, then her next was again, why did she know his name? 

"Sounds familiar, why?"

Neptune knew the game she played, it was one she often pulled when she knew she didn't want to announce the truth. One she mainly used to cunningly slip past their mom's exes, the ones that tried to control her at least. A shrug and a simple, "To me honey, it seems like you're very, very dodgy." Saturn rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed grimace as she ran her fingers through her own nappy hair. 

"God, Neptune you can be so annoying sometimes."

"I wonder who I got it from." The two sisters stared down each other, Saturn's was a threaten, one that said "try me" and in response, Neptune held strong to her glare that tested her.

"Iapetus is a family friend. Personally, I don't give a fuck about him but mom is close to him." She muttered as she reached in her pocket to produce a box of cigarettes. She slid a stick out and shook her head carelessly. Neptune sighed and took the lighter that sat next to her foot, then dropped it in her sweater pocket. Her sister seemed to continue on, without notice of her taking it. She looked around and groaned, grabbed her bag and dug through it while Neptune clutched it in her hand. 

"You've always been horrible at keeping anything from me. I know when there's more, and I want the details!"

Saturn snapped her toxically pink nails at her impishly and darted her eyes to her pocket. She rubbed circles over the smooth surface, wondering how many ways she could break it. The daydream was trashed quickly by the idea of lighter fluids spilling onto her skirt, or creating an accidental burst of flames in her hands. It would be the nicest present she could give to her dear sister.

"Sweetheart, all you need to know is that it's your nap time." Her words were acidic, not enough to burn Neptune. Only fire could suffice. "Maybe, just maybe, I would love to know what the hell is going on in this family. Enlightenment me, and you can have your damn pyromaniac toy back." Her hand tightened around the lighter while her eyes smoldered into Saturn's gaze. Her glossy lips parted slightly, preparing to shoot back, but then she shook her head and took the cigarette between her teeth.

"Keep it." Talking about his shouldn't bother her, but it never fails to achieve its goal. She wished she could scream it to her, to let it out in a downpour as her younger sister would, but she forced her words back. She knew Neptune was essentially the reason Mercury and her continued their facade of association, and she didn't want to inform her of the vexing situation she worked so hard to forget. Her teeth ground anxiously against the stick as Neptune decided it wasn't worth the fight by walking out with her head held high.

\--------------------

After their altercation, she knew that there was no way she could go back and go on her knees, pleading with her sister so she could go, but it seemed like the only option while she pulled on a sweatshirt and knotted her hair up into a bun that failed to stay nicely. 

Neptune silently hissed out something unpleasant as her leg jammed roughly into the side of her bed frame. Her eyes blinked in the blank darkness, trying to draw out an outline of a door. Slowly, she could see it, the dull gleam of the doorknob. Her hand fumbled, then wrapped around it and gently pushed it open with an echoing click. 

From countless nights of slipping out into deep midnights, maneuvering through the darkened hall wasn't even a challenge like her room. Nothing stood in her way, but it was harder locating the right door. Her hand felt the knob, trying to recall the differences between the ones in the house. 

She forced herself to pull the first one open, peering in to see Saturn, her features dramatically highlighted by the shadowy illumination from her phone. Tired eyes met her own, full of questions that narrowed down to why she was standing in the doorway. 

"Did someone get a little nightmare? Need me to read a fairytale?" Neptune narrowed her eyes and threw her hair back with fiery attitude, walking straight to her bed. 

"Fuck you. I need to shut your mouth for once and help me." Saturn clicked her phone off, casting a dark veil over her face. 

"Chill, I'll do it. Not like I got anything better to do."

Neptune threw the window open and started to slide out of it to her sister's surprise. When she disappeared from sight, Saturn poked her head out and growled to Neptune with a challenging tone, "You could've hurt yourself! Should've tried harder!"

"Get your skinny ass down here and make it quick!" Her voice travelled in a decrescendo, barely reaching her ears. She watched expectingly as her sister swung herself out of the window and grabbed hold of a nearby tree branch. As she pulled herself up she grunted and felt her palms burn. 

"It's not that hard." Neptune added before yanking her down, falling back with a sudden gasp. Her sister fell limp over her for a long minute, saying over and over that she hated her. "Whatever, now are you going to explain?"

They went through a long stretch of silence, guiding each other through the softly illuminated streets. It was intimidating to hear the whispers of trees and to keep an ear out just for anything sounding foreign. Saturn shivered nervously and tried to keep close to Neptune without revealing her fears.

"Just be prepared to stitch a wound." Saturn lightly snickered and grazed her eyes over Neptune. Her eyes were cold and didn't accept the jab at what she said.

".... Excuse me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's me with a late update!!  
> I was gonna have a Halloween chapter but that obviously didn't work out lol-


	10. Chapter 10

Venus sat close to her sister and carefully rubbed alcohol around her cheek, soaking the white towel in crimson that would leave unexplainable stains to their parents to question them about. Luna-Terra held stiffly still as the stinging set in, barely trumping the numbing pain across her cheek. In order to keep her sister from getting further upset she dug her teeth down on the inside of her lip as the alcohol slashed through her skin again, piercing the flesh twice as worse. She fluttered her eyes closed and began drifting off into a daydream, until she heard stifled sniffles. She brought her hand up, cupping it over Venus's just as she pulled the rag away from her face and started to whimper softly with cries threatening to escape. Her eyes opened and she immediately saw the tears in her eyes and the embarrassing red that filled her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"

Luna-Terra sighed as she pulled the fabric from her and wrapped her arms around her, trying to keep her hair from dipping into her wound. Venus hiccuped softly as she held onto her shoulders, wanting to push her back, but also wanting the embrace, to know it was okay... "Hey, stop it-- don't do that." She murmured in a silvery voice she regularly avoided. 

"I-I shouldn't have... It was a terrible idea for me to go with-"

"Venus, it's not your fault. It's the guys' fault for messing with you, and there was no way in my life I would let that happen," Her fingers brushed the tears off of her cheeks, then helped her sit up. Venus sniffled and pulled nervously at the jacket her sister offered her earlier, then cast a guilty look up to her. "It's still my fault."

"Hell no it's not, they shouldn't have said shit to you or lay their hands on you," With increasing venom in her voice she replayed the scene in her head then quickly changed her tone to a much softer one again, "I wish you didn't beat yourself up so much over it, please."

"And I wish you'd go to the hospital for this." Luna-Terra gave a stern rejection to the suggestion, shaking her head and slowly acknowledging the door. A low knock pounded softly as if on cue. When she started to stand up, Venus quickly sprang up, scrambling to the door before she could even rise from the couch. 

"Who is that?" The answer was unveiled as soon as her sister threw open the door, stepping aside to let two girls in. Rather, two she knew. One threw her dark blue hair back, looking around and locking eyes with Luna-Terra almost immediately. Still as smug as always. 

The other leaned in to kiss Venus, forcing Luna-Terra to look away and finally met Saturn's eyes again. She had gotten closer, plopping down into the couch and grabbing her chin suddenly, turning her head slightly while she scanned the deep red mark. The feeling of her polished nail dragging down her cheek lightly kept her from breathing, she wanted to bury her face into her warm palm and leave butterfly kisses tracing along the lines on her hand. She yanked away from the temptation and swung her legs up onto the couch to create a reason for distance, one that didn't stop Saturn from climbing onto her legs and smugly smiling up to her. "Hiiii. Neptune said that her girlfriend's sister needed stitches, and I'm surprised she's still with the same girls, so I didn't think I'd be all up on you today," Saturn leaned back, using her finger to call Venus over. The girl meekly strode towards her with her head lowered, then glanced slightly up to her.

"Do you have any thread? A needle? Preferably a thin one-" She leaned over with a begrudging lilt in her tone, "-but if say you can't find a thin one, then just get the biggest one to show your sister how much of a pain she is." Venus's eyes grew in horror while she shook her head, flicking her eyes quickly to her sister. Luna-Terra gave a dry laugh and jabbed her elbow deep into her stomach, met with a breathless gasp. "Ha. Don't listen to her Vee, just go find Mom's kit."

Luna-Terra lightly pushed a sigh of relief out and whipped her gaze back to a wheezing Saturn, who was still struck with the non-fatal blow. "Still quite melodramatic." Saturn stuck her tongue out accusingly, then shoved herself back into the couch. "And you still let you accent slip in unbridled anger, it really just makes you scarily hot y'know."

Luna-Terra raised an eyebrow at her, watching her raise her legs featly across her own lap with no cross of caring. There really wasn't anything she couldn't expect from Saturn anymore. 

They'd lay with each other after sparing, Saturn usually draped across her in a clever daze. Each movement would tell her what she wanted next, a small hint that led to more. Always. 

When she gave the side eye to the door, she felt Saturn softly tap against her knee with her own leg. 

"Get off me, feral cat." She finally grumbled rashly, nudging her legs right off of her own. 

"Excuse you, I'm no cat-"

"Stop acting like one then."

Saturn retrieved her legs begrudgingly and tossed her head back, effortlessly flinging her hair out of her face. "Old habits die hard."

At the sound of light footsteps, Luna-Terra thanked the two girls in silence, turning to watch as Neptune and Venus quietly walked down the stairs towards the couch. With a look to her sister, she took her seat obediently between their quarrel without a bat of her eyes. Saturn snatched the small blue kit out of her hands and thumbed it open, trying to ignore Neptune's complaining whispers that hissed in her ears. The younger of the two blondes went back to attempts of tending to the wound again while Neptune surveyed her sister's hands as she dug for a thin needle. Luna-Terra took gentle hold of Venus's working hand and broke her grimace into a rare smile. "Sis, go ahead and just relax, I'm fine. You're fine. You don't need to do anything for me."

Neptune watched the two, tried to hear what they were saying and made sense of it, until Venus leaned over and whispered something unintelligible, something that was a word or a sentence, but foreign. And then Luna-Terra gave a reply, once again it sounded like odd jargon, one that Saturn seemed to skip over as she threaded the silver needle. The way Venus gave nervous glance to Saturn and spoke in a hushed voice helped create an idea of what she might be saying, so Neptune took to trying to read their emotions until Saturn sat up and flicked the back of Venus's neck, making her spring up and off the couch. 

"No need to be so secretive and rude, Venus!" She tutted, shaking her head with her signature little leer. Venus's cheeks blossomed when she pointed it out, then quickly she grabbed Neptune's hand with an embarrassed glance and rushed her away from the living room.

The leer morphed into an amused smirk upon seeing the little display, then she pulled herself back onto her lap. "Your sister needs to watch her pretty little mouth. The angels are always the ones to give you hell."

"It's just her nature. I personally favor it, it's nice to know somehow she has the capability to stick up for herself."

"Oh! Why, she must not have told you! There was never a time she stuck up for herself during camp. I have my sources." Before Luna-Terra even parted her lips in response, the pain pierced clean through her skin. She shut her eyes tighter and grabbed onto the sofa, hissing greatly. Saturn continued to speak, her voice more woeful cathartically, "A shame. A shame! It's a wonder she didn't turn out as daring as you. But this cut didn't make itself, so I'm really dying to know what happened."

Luna-Terra groaned and kept her head in place while she cradled her other cheek in her hand. The feeling of her skin being sewn up to cover the gash was oddly painful. Her arm raised slightly when the pain grew, her palm was pressed against her arm, fingers curling around her wrist. Saturn sighed and pressed her thumb into her cheek gently, giving her a pitiful glance from under her lashes. 

"... Some guys were messing with Venus, and they kept threatening her. That's all."

Saturn held her tongue while she finished the sutures, casting her eyes back to her work while she tied it off. Luna-Terra watched as Saturn started to pack away all supplies, shoving it onto the table and starting to stand and stretch her body fully. "Stupid that you got involved. I'm so sure she can defend herself if you give her space. Why are you like that, huh? You're not her mother or anything." She mumbled in a sarcastic tone while she invited herself into the kitchen. Luna-Terra felt her legs go numb when she began to move again to go after her. She sank back into the couch and responded very quietly, "You'd never get it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still writing the chapter after this as I post this, so hopefully the two chapters will make up for my absence (more like lack of productivity)!

People all around had filled the mall, all partaking in their own gleeful shopping. She followed the glossy store bags with a straw between her teeth that her teeth gnawed into a thin edge. Her eyes focused in on the people, reading their faces and analyzing their stories, until two familiar ones came into the picture. 

There was the long sandy locks she recognized almost suddenly, and felt tears poke at the corners of her eyes. She ran her fingers through her hair, stopping at her cheek to run over a white bandage that stood out even against her pale skin. The woman gave her a tentative glance before tearing her stare to look to the person walking beside her. There was the other she knew dearly well, with her head held high with berry-colored hair framing her freckled face. They strode over to her together, Saturn immediately taking the only seat across from her. Luna-Terra gave a sharp glance towards Saturn and walked to the seat next to Pluto, pulling the chair out hesitantly and sitting back. 

Pluto acknowledged them both with a curt nod, then focused back in on her drink. The woman by her let out a precarious sigh, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out into the sea of people. The one across from her tilted her head, just barely revealing her other eye while she rested her cheek on her palm. "This is such a snooze fest. I was hoping for some drama. What's the new thing you want to throw us under the bus for now?" Pluto ignored her complaints and held her own chin up. "We aren't here to discuss that. I made that clear, correct?" 

Luna-Terra became suddenly involved, nodding towards no one in particular. She started to speak for the first time since they all congregated together, grabbing a napkin out of the holder and rubbing at the surface of the table. "I wouldn't have opened you text if we were here to talk about that. Can we make this quick?" A worrying sly smile curled Saturn's darkened lips up. "Isn't that what you say to like all of your hookups?" Luna-Terra seemed unfazed by the remark as she turned slightly to look at Pluto with her dark smoldering eyes. 

"Now that we have that out of the way, we all know what we're here for-" Saturn mockingly shot her hand up into the air. She cleared her throat and with a scarily serious scrunched nose, started to speak. " 'Scuse me teacher! I have no idea what we're here for!" The other two women both collectively sighed, Pluto turned hers into a smile, while Luna-Terra buried her face into her hand. 

"A truce. As I said, I think it would be best," She held her irresolute stare, thumbing at the black lace hem of her dress. Her heart pounded in her eyes deeply, making her feel jittery with disquietness. It felt foreign to feel this way, like some kind of stage fright she had never experienced. It was exceedingly overwhelming. Their subtle silence fueled the paranoia. 

"...since all our sisters are dating now. And... we want the best for them." Saturn perked up at the answer and drummed her filed nails on the table. In contrast, Luna-Terra looked her up and down concisely, trying to find a lie within her declaration, but kept her lips tightly pressed. Saturn nodded eagerly and sprang from her seat, sashaying over to them and throwing her arms over them both. 

"Then in that case! I don't care!"

Pluto smiled up to her and gently brushed away her icy hand, trying to hold her fingers from trembling. "Deep down I'm sure you love Neptune, who can hate their siblings?" A snort and a belting laugh was the inappropriate reaction received, one she tried to keep from grimacing at. "Please, you say that like you're the role model to your own sister! I say, that's hypocritical."

"I'm interested in this arrangement. We shouldn't let our shit mess with them, it's rude," Luna-Terra tiredly mumbled with her eyes on the hand weighing down her shoulder. "And we all have much more important matters to worry about. It's time to grow up." Saturn pulled away slowly, walking back to her side of the table. She rose an eyebrow at what she said. Chuckling, she shook her head and tossed her hair back. 

"Sure. I'll 'grow up' once I feel like it, and I'll do it as soon as Pluto does. You can't sit there and tell me you forgive her-"

"And I don't. But during my time with my family, I'm realizing that I have to be a grownup. I'm already one, so why not just take up the role of being mature as soon as possible?" They both watched as she gradually stood. Saturn furrowed her brow, staring down the blonde intensely. There was a pause in time before Pluto could look at her again, thumping of her heart had started to restrict her lungs tightly at her words. Luna-Terra turned to them slightly, "For my sister's sake, I'll be nice to you both, but we don't talk about what happened." 

"Fair." She managed dryly. She let her walk away, then watched as Saturn grabbed her phone off the table and give it an annoyed huff. 

"I don't care about you anymore. So no dice." Pluto nodded a silent response, keeping her eyes focused on the surface of the table. Drops of water formed on it, almost out of thin air. They caught light, shimmering incessantly in complex patterns. She brought her fingers up to her eyelids, wiping away water that left a glittery sheen stuck to her fingertips. Her lungs finally let her breathe in a shuddery breath that broke the tightness. She watched as Saturn blocked out her tears and started to do just what Luna-Terra did.

\--------------------

Warm air followed her inside the mildly cool house, sticking to her skin like a film of sweat. She rubbed the back of her hand against her lips, replaying what happened in her head over and over, coming to the late acknowledgement of someone else in the room. Her ear was trained to the staticky voices that handed out carefully prepared lines with a burst of laughter following straight after. Her eyes quickly found the bright source, a lame comedy show that had been aired too long. It had been on so long, she couldn't help but feel an annoying pang of nostalgia as the familiar scene played out. 

The couch was occupied by a breathing form that had curled into itself. Chestnut strands fell in her face, green eyes reflecting the screen. A blanket was kicked off when she moved close to the couch. Jupiter rose slowly from the burrow of blankets and opened her mouth wide, quietly yawning. "I thought you weren't coming home this early."

"Why?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at work? It's like 2." Confusion rose in her voice as she shook her head and fluffed the tangles of midnight locks. "No, Jupes it's 5."

Jupiter took a deep breath and blinked slowly. Her lips pursed and her eyelids lowered. "A.M...?" Pluto eyes widened suddenly, perturbed, and she shook her head quickly. "No, P.M. Did you take any medication by accident?" The glossy look in her eyes revealed the answer, which she promptly ignored. She rubbed her forehead and set her feet on the carpet, going to shut the TV off.

"I don't... remember. Um..." She pulled back and gathered her blanket up in a haze. "Dad left money for a kosher on the table," Jupiter hugged the blanket to herself and gave a stifled yawn, shaking her head. Her head shook with a dazed look, for a moment she seemed entirely confused. "... is it okay if you order it?" Pluto nodded with a bright smiled, moving quaintly to the kitchen to find the home phone and the money, supposedly, left on the table. 

An annoying tone chime rang in increments from her pocket. Her back pressed into the counter as she pulled the phone out and glanced at the screen. 

The picture that portrayed a rare smile on Luna-Terra's face popped onto the screen, along with a bright green button to accept the sudden call. She let her thumb hover over it, pressing into the screen quietly. She brought the phone to her ear and pulled her finger off of it. 

"Hello?"

Her voice sent chills down her spine, a mixture of a stern and gentle tone, "Hey, just wanted to call and... make sure you got home safely." Luna-Terra seemed to calculate her words, pausing slowly and trying to string her sentences together. Something she had mastered-- from years of effortless smooth-talking. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm home." 

Nothing came out of her mouth, neither from the other line. What else was there to say? Nothing.

Soft thumping steps mad her speak quieter, hoping Jupiter wouldn't overhear. "It's nice of you to do that. I'm just... surprised you called! It's a nice surprise." The dreaded silence crept around her again, draping itself around her like an old lover.

When she ghosted her her thumb instinctively hovered over a bright red button, ready to save her the pain of silent suffering. "I don't know what I was thinking." Luna-Terra's voice was remorseful and phantom-like. Unfamiliar. She clicked the button to spare her of a forced parting. Jupiter had curiously, and not so discreetly, propped herself up on a chair and stared at her. 

"How much did you hear?" 

Jupiter gave her a jaded smile. "I don't know?" Then out of obligated sisterly courtesy, "everything okay?" Pluto touched her starry cheek as she stared at her, and Jupiter did the same. Of curiosity? Neither knew. Pluto did know Jupiter had that probing stare that would get people to spill out their truths, she learned it from her without realization.

"It's nothing you need to worry of." She cheerfully reassured, knowing full well that her sister probably found her sudden burst of emotion peculiar... And the glitter?

She knew she had her suspicions.


	12. Chapter 12

Deep in the lake was unseen from the simple view. The clear blue surface had deepened into a murky bottom with unknown inhabitants. Not heeding any warnings, Neptune stuck her arm in while Mercury lectured her, "Nep, no! You'll probably stick yourself on a heroin needle!"

"I do need something to keep me from dying of boredom with this family." He dully cuffed the back of her head to make her retrieve her soaked arm. She sat up and smeared mysterious gunk that stuck to her arm and made a face while she discovered it's consistency. Mercury sighed and knelt by her with his backpack in hand. He dug through it and produced a roll of paper towels and hand sanitizer, immediately going to work helping her clean it off.

"Thanks dad." All sarcasm had left her voice. Mercury searched her face for a sign that she was kidding, but his findings were closed eyes, nose scrunched with thought to her mistake.

"Oh, hey, don't worry... Um..." Neptune yanked her arm back and crossed her arms, grime sticking to her shirt. She stepped back and avoided his eyes. "I didn't say anything." She muttered and rolled her eyes, dark blue eyes glaring at the water as if it did something heinous. He averted his gaze, more confused than anything. When he looked back up, she was already walking away, pretending that didn't happen. Mercury took the roll and sanitizer and stuck them in his bag, thoughts of concern his main worry. He stood with a clouded mind and started to walk back to the cabin through the winding trees. He ducked under branches and listened for strange noises, of cracking and snapping, or light treading. 

He turned and stopped by a sizable tree. A hand clung to it with the golden light of sunset reflecting the bright pink on the nails. 

"Saturn."

She produced a loud groan and peeked out, narrowing her eyes the way Neptune did, this time with a wild smirk. She stepped out and dusted her clothes, grabbing his arm into a hug. "Damn, it took you long enough to find me!"

"I wasn't playing. I thought you were too busy fucking up something in the cabin." She shook her head and pointed to herself, twirling a lollipop between her fingers. "You think so highly of me, it's really nice." A quick sidestep broadened the distance between them as they began to continue up the beaten up trail. The house seemed tiny in the distance, and the silence seemed to be killing Saturn. Mercury shot her a glance, then focused on keeping his mouth tightly shut. 

"Are you mad?"

He took a deep breath, too dramatic to her. After a long moment he shook his head and said softly, "It's just the fact you did that Saturn, I told you everything! At that time I had believed I wanted him through his deception, and I was jealous, but now all I can think is that I made that mistake and led you to that same path. Because I turned my nose up when you followed my steps." His eyes watered, but he didn't let tears fall. He blotted at his eyes with Saturn watching him steadily. There was a need to embrace him and tell him it wasn't his fault but she couldn't. She knew it would only be in vain.

Once he straightened up, he continued walking ahead to the cabin. Saturn sighed and followed after him, with new thoughts of what to do.

When the cabin was close in view it became easy to notice Neptune lounging on the porch, slapping her arm and reaching for a spray can. Blistering lumps seemed to agonize her with the need to scratch. Her piercing eyes focused on them, shadowed blatantly with suspicion. Mercury silently started to walk around her, making the boards she sat on creak. She waited for Saturn to pass before rising herself.

Inside of the cabin, Saturn immediately seized the couch even with Mercury's grumbled complaints. Neptune swiftly moved around like a phantom, avoiding her siblings and further conflicts. 

Her stomach wretched causticly, digging acid up in silence. She dug her teeth into her cheek. It begged her to allow herself to let it slip out and pool on the floor past her glossed lips. She stepped out of the kitchen and swallowed her nausea. Something prickled in her shoulder, the feeling she recognized instantly. She whipped around dizzily and met dark eyes that were wide with surprising intuition.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Saturn smirked at her abrasive tone and shrugged. She fell back on the couch, obstructing Neptune's view of her and dangled her legs off of its arm. "We'll be here for a couple of days, don't start picking fights if you don't want consequences!" Mercury turned his attention to Neptune with a look of caution. She averted her gaze and continued to focus on her sister with intense eyes. 

"Mercury, follow me to the room?"

He stood and pulled on the drawstring of his sweatshirt, working it through the hood. Together they walked to the room, Neptune threw herself on the neatly made bed. She let out what she considered, a very un-glamorous noise, and let her head go limp on the comforter, bile burning her throat. She could feel the strangling sensation knotting her abdomen with tight pain and let another groan out. "Fuck!"

"Lady of the etiquette award goes to you, surely."

"Hold your tongue, I wasn't even trying for that award anyways." The bed sunk in next to her as Mercury sat next to her. Her eyes slit open to peek at him. 

He never really looked his age. Even as he softly laughed his skin creased with a hidden unease. 

She propped herself up with one hand on the bed. She pat it, pulling his attention, then nodded to the door. "So you and Saturn are sharing a bed right?" He shook his head and scrunched his nose. "Definitely not, she kicks." 

"Hey. Earlier I said something stupid, but I just wanted to say I just messed up and said something wrong." 

"That's not something I hear from you everyday-"

"Just take it." Mercury turned when she started to gradually rest her head on his shoulder. Sullen eyes were hidden behind a thick concealer, and he knew this. He noticed a fine black line just below her eye and tentatively rose his hand, pressing his thumb with slight pressure under her eye to wipe at it. His hand was suddenly grabbed without her missing a beat, then was pushed away. 

"It's just mascara." 

He quietly nodded and started to stand and walk to the bed opposite of her's. Opening his bag, he began to rustle through it, some containers clacking together with Neptune watching him and rubbing at her eyes, smearing smoky makeup into already onyx tears. His arm pulled back and produced a tattered rag, then he slowly took a few shuffling steps to her in silence. He heard her let out a protesting groan while she pushed her loose hair back and tilted her head up. 

Neptune was unlike both of them, he knew this too. Somehow, even being the youngest, she knew how to deceive them both from a young age. It started out by her tricking Saturn into ludicrous bets for some lipstick she had from mother's purse, what did they bet on? Mainly who got in trouble when mom's boyfriend got home. Mercury never liked how he believed there needed to be a ''man of the house" as the boyfriend would recite upon questioning.

Neptune always won those bets by testing the hot water, too innocent at the time to realize she stuck her foot in searing lava and too naive to realize why punishment was bestowed on her for it. Always, she kept at it. Rarely she left with no scars of the explosion. 

"It's bugging me, Nep." He finally uttered with a breaking dissonance in his tone. The rag gently pressed into her cheek while he waited for her to reply. She kept her eyes down, feeling them immensely water and drip out midnight colored tears.

"It doesn't matter, he always threatens me and he thinks he had a handle on me by sending me to the summer scouts, he's like that to you both. It's whatever." She scoffed vilely with venom escaping her mouth. Mercury pulled away and squeezed the cloth, tainting his hands while he stepped away. 

"I know that it's not mascara for the record, and I'm here for you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C.W. for transphobia from family.

"Don't talk like that,"

"...explain to us why you're acting this way,"

"...we will send you to a therapist."

They kept criticizing everything she did, bursting out into sudden stinging lashes she felt she couldn't endure by herself. The chair by her was empty, and she wished it was filled. In her head she blocked out parts and went over which day it was, then looked to the clock. Minutes were counted right at 7, counting all the way down to 7:30. 30 more to go. It seemed to stretch more than it needed to. When her focus returned to the table the only thing that greeted her were disappointed clinks from forks scraping against the best plates her mother owned.

"Never should have let him stay, now look how he influenced you."

She pressed her own fork down into the napkin and glared over at her parents. "She." She mumbled timidly, furrowing her brows as she began a stare-off with them both. Their stares would break away, they always did. Interest in her would be feigned for a moment before they directed the conversation in their own twisted way to her sister. 

"Stay out of it Venus. And go wash your face, you look horrible." Her mother dropped her fork on her plate and gathered up her napkins that had been squeezed angrily into crumpled clumps. The woman she was always distant from turned to barely face her before disappearing into the shadows of the kitchen. Her eyes tensely met her father's as he put his own utensils down on his plate. 

She slowly stood from the table and said a low "excuse me" as she left. She walked to the closest bathroom and shut herself in. Slowly, she watched herself in the mirror, her cheeks bright red and her eyes dulled out. Her makeup still clung to her skin, dark liner accentuating her eyes even more. Dark lashes curled up into place with black mascara, and her lips were tinted just slightly pink. To her she was a mess, and didn't come to be the way she had envisioned it. The choleric tension and jabs from her parents only fanned the flames of her quickly burning emotions and produced the tears she sobbed away with the reflection of how she felt before learning more of herself.

It was hard to understand why they wanted to extinguish the light, the soft and gentle light, that she learned to become acquainted with. In her newfound comfort and happiness she wanted to stay, despite them pulling her away. The way they tried with Luna-Terra. Venus stared at the jaded girl that started to cry in the reflection before her. It was almost natural, and it always happened when she stared at this other girl. 

Was this her? Would she ever be her? A mirage of pure locks that elegantly pooled down with eyes that murmured sweet, sad memories in the brightest blue. Her shivers shook her whole body as she slipped down slowly to the floor. The image of something she wanted so badly just made the cake of her envy, but they pretended that wasn't the deal, making the bitter icing on top. 

Rapping on the door pulled her thoughts apart. Venus stood with her legs numbly struggling to keep her up. She pressed her head against the door, fingers lightly grazing the knob in slow circular motions. "What?"

"Open the door, now, I want to see you." She could hear the spiteful voice of her mother, the speed of her speech led her to realize she was desperately trying to enter. Venus held the knob tightly and shook her head, started to say no in a weary voice. Grasping the knob, she could feel it slipping and turning out of her hands. The door was forcibly thrown open when her hands slipped away, caught in her mother's restraining grasp. Her expression said everything as she reached past her, yanking the towel off the rack. Her grip tightened as she moved to the sink, turning the water on to wet the rag. 

She pinched Venus's cheek and roughly scrubbed at her face, leading to Venus squirming and yelping. "You shouldn't be wear this! You've never done this before, what the hell has gotten into you?" Her voice was venomous and made Venus cringe away from her, then sobbed loudly. She smacked her hand away and held onto her furiously scrubbed face, whimpering. Tears made her cheeks sizzle and sear. Her mother's eyes looked over her face, she threw the rag with a wet slap into the sink, then left her daughter in her own puddle of tears and stinging.

"Both of you, so ungrateful for what He has given you." Her icy tone struck a devastating chord in Venus, something she didn't think she could feel. With the numbing pain piercing her she sniffled a few times and curled into herself. The door was weakly nudged with her foot to close it and leave her by herself. The cool tile pressed to her cheek calmed the angry searing like a peaceful hug.

A sudden knock had rung along with avoice.

"Someone in there? I need to get in the bathroom, please." The voice was gently gruff, immediately making her feel a soothing warmth of relief. Venus slowly opened the door and stared up at her with watery eyes, then moved past her. 

"I didn't know you got off early." Her voice sounded like the whisper of winds, almost too silent to be heard. When she began sniffling rapidly, Luna-Terra cupped her cheek with one hand and sighed deeply. 

"Decided to leave early, what's going on?" Luna-Terra slowly lowered her bag to the floor while bringing her into a warm embrace. She could feel Venus's head sink into her shoulder so she lightly pressed her hand behind her head to hold her steady. For minutes, Venus didn't answer. She began to pull away and took a few steps back from her, turning quickly and leaving towards her room. Luna-Terra's arms fell to her sides and she slowly kicked her bag into the bathroom. Following after her, she made it to her room and watched as her sister flung herself onto her bed in a perceptible show of her emotions. Soft mumbles came as a response through a fluffed pillow. Luna-Terra slowly propped herself by her and pat her back, sympathizing with her high-pitched sobs.

Luna-Terra looked off to the side, then slowly pulled her sister back up. Venus continued to whimper and sniffle, wiping wet makeup into the sleeves of her shirt.

"I hate... my body." She finally whispered in breathy sobs, eyes set on the floor. With all the rationale she could offer, Luna-Terra wrapped her arm around her and leaned against her head. "Vee, you can always talk to me about it," but what she said only fell on deaf ears.

"It's not fair, it's not fair!" She cried helplessly and buried her face into her her hands, her hiccups hushed and shook her body painfully. Luna-Terra grabbed her wrist slowly and turned her carefully to face her. The heavy tears that fell from her eyes streaked her dark rosy cheeks and stuck to her lashes. She breathed out a sigh and began to run her hand over tears that welled up from almost nowhere and shook her head. "I know, I know," with a very faint flicker of truth, she tried to reassure her. She pulled her over to her and haphazardly wrapped her arms around her, heated skin meeting her own. Alarmed, she pressed her hand to her forehead and frowned, pushing long locks of pale hair away. 

"If you keep crying like that, you'll make yourself sick."

"I won't..." Luna-Terra felt her stern expression loosen, slowly it was softened with an unsettled glance. Venus's head fell back limply on her shoulder, trembling and whimpering. "... but i hate then, I hate the way they treat us and how they do this to us!" 

\--------

Escaping silently into the night provided a wondrous sense of security. People were just starting to leave and children were called sweetly into households that they had little notice for, or ones they had dreaded. Doing what she was attempting was risky, but she knew it would be safer. The dead weight of a bag clung to her arm, and her sister was doing basically the same with her arms around her neck. 

Cold tears rolled off her skin, no doubt they were Venus's. Luna-Terra just pulled her closer and silently shut the car door behind her. She slowly approached an apartment and pressed the familiar button to hear a buzz over an intercom. Groggily, a voice spoke and yawned greatly. 

"You're here? About time..."

"I had to go home, and I had to bring someone along."

"Venus?" 

Luna-Terra hesitated and mumbled a quiet 'yes'. Mars groaned and she could hear her rustle about for a moment before the doors to the apartments opened. Luna quietly stepped inside and took her time as she walked up the stairs. Venus stayed oddly taciturn and had begun to raise her head haphazardly, then rested it back on her shoulder.

She approached the door closest to the stairwell and knocked on the dark brown door. It slowly creaked open, Mars's head peaked out with dark locks mussed and sticking up in some places. Her eyes slowly looked over her, watching the trembling form in her arms before motioning to let her take the bag. Luna-Terra slowly walked inside and gently lowered Venus to the couch, stretching back immediately.

Mars slowly approached Luna-Terra, brushed her hair out of her face, then slowly leaned close and kissed her sweetly. "I'm glad you got here safe," she glanced over her shoulder to the immobile figure on her couch, "...is she okay?" Her hands slowly went over her arms and she quietly looked into the dark.

"No, she's just gonna stay here while I'm here, I promise I'll take her to my rehearsals-" 

"LT, I don't mind her, I just want to know if she's fine." She pulled the blanket from the top of the couch and let it flutter down onto Venus. Luna-Terra cast her eyes over them, watching Mars ensure comfort. Slowly she walked to them and put her hand on Mars’s shoulder, watching her relief washing over her. “I don't know,” Luna-Terra mumbled while Mars bent down and moved Venus’s hair so she could see her face. She was flush, bright red smudges highlighted her cheeks. 

“If she needs anything she can help herself.” She pulled herself back and lightly put her arm around Luna-Terra. She nodded slowly and easily kept her dismay hidden with shallow breaths. She closed her eyes slowly and broke the pattern by deeply breathing through her nose. 

“I hate being nostalgic. It just reminds me that she rubbed off on me, but I can't help but think of you when she's like that.”

“Who?”

“Venus.”

Luna-Terra rolled her eyes and rose an eyebrow at her. “She's my sister, she's probably picked up on some things.” Mars laughed at this in a hearty way and shook her head. “No surprise there. Let's hope she's not such a little heartbreaker.”

“Hey!”


End file.
